New Delhi: The Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur today announced an award of Rs 1 crore to Indian men’s badminton team which created history by winning the coveted Thomas Cup for the first time with a spectacular 3-0 victory over 14-time champion Indonesia in the final in Bangkok.
Thakur celebrated the victory with a spontaneous decision. “India’s extraordinary feat of winning the Thomas Cup with successive victories over Malaysia, Denmark and Indonesia in the play-offs called for a relaxation of rules. It is with pride that I announce the award of Rs 1 crore to the team that brought so much joy to the Indians this weekend,” he said.
The Minister complimented the players, coaches and support staff of the Indian team. “Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoykept a clean slate by winning each time they stepped on court.The doubles combination of Satwiksairakj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty raised the bar to win decisive points in five of the six matches, including all three in the knockout stage,” he said.